


quiver dance

by crypsis



Series: destiny knot [2]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: M/M, Pokemon AU, Yuuri is lowkey a party boy, chris is a bit of an enabler but also quite caring?, drunk dancing and infatuation happen anyways, kind of banquet-y but it's also not at a banquet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-30
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-10-25 15:32:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10767156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crypsis/pseuds/crypsis
Summary: “Wait,” Chris says, grinning, putting a hand on Leo’s arm. “I wanna hear this. Why Viktor Nikiforov, Yuuri?”Yuuri blinks, thinking. Tipsy as he is, it doesn't take long for him to come up with a list of reasons. “He’s beautiful,” he says dreamily. “And so is his team. His battle style’s amazing, and he actually treats his Pokémon so nicely. Also, he’s hot. Like—really hot.”Chris and Leo share a weird look, then burst into laughter.Yuuri frowns. “Why are you laughing?” he asks, confused.“Oh my god,” Chris says between chuckles, “Yuuri’s a closet Viktor fanboy. Who would've guessed?”In which meeting your celebrity crush never really goes the way you expect it to.(Alternately: Unfortunately for Viktor, what happens in Unova stays in Unova.)





	quiver dance

**Author's Note:**

> here it is: the promised unova shenanigans fic.

Unova is an amazing, terrifying place.

Yuuri’s walking through Castelia City, swept along by the relentless flow of people and Pokémon. Everything is so big, so busy—Yuuri catches hundreds of conversations as people walk by him. Anxious, he clutches the package of papers to his chest, and squints, looking for building signs, but to no avail. Sensing his discomfort, Beautifly chirps reassuringly, perched on his right shoulder.

“I have no idea where I am,” he says under his breath, and turns back around. He’s probably walked down this street three times by now—there’s a Castelia Cone stand on the left.

He considers asking someone for directions, but everyone looks so busy, so daunting. So he sighs, heads down an alley. Unfortunately for him, it’s a sketchy, sketchy alley. There’s a guy leaning against the wall, and when he sees Yuuri, he starts walking towards him, expression menacing.

“What've you got there?” he demands, his Purrloin glaring at Beautifly.

“Nothing important,” Yuuri says, backing away. He could probably win the guy in a battle easily, but he’d rather not start a fight in an strange city. “Just some papers.”

“What kind of papers?” the guy presses, and Yuuri feels Beautifly tensing, getting ready to strike.

Yuuri’s brain short-circuits. “Boring ones,” he says, taking another step backwards.

“We’ll see about that,” the man says, sneering, and his Purrloin pounces.

Beautifly takes off into the air in a flash, its needle-like mouth uncoiling and striking the Purrloin in the soft of its belly. The Purrloin is knocked down in an instant, tumbling onto the ground with a pained cry.

The guy blinks, looks at his fainted Purrloin, then at Yuuri again like he’s seeing him for the first time. “What the hell?” he says, a note of fear in his voice, and before Yuuri can react, he’s scooped up his Purrloin and disappeared into the darkness of the alley.

Beautifly’s fluttering about in the air, and Yuuri extends an arm for it to land on. He’s a little shaken. “Thanks, buddy,” he murmurs, and thinks longingly of his home back in Lavaridge. Sure, it’d been a little boring, but nobody had ever tried to mug him. 

Beautifly chirps, pleased. Yuuri sighs, leans against the wall, resigned. He’s about to just sit down and take a break when someone calls his name.

“Yuuri?”

Yuuri turns, and his heart lifts with relief. “Chris!”

Chris strides towards him, followed by his Florges. He looks concerned. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I got lost,” Yuuri says, distressed. “Celestino sent me here to give a package to the Battle Company, but I’ve got no idea where that is, and I think someone just tried to mug me—”

“Aww,” Chris says pityingly, and puts a reassuring arm around Yuuri’s shoulder.

“I don’t know why I thought I could do this,” Yuuri says miserably. “Everything’s so big, and so scary, and I’m either lost or scared—”

“Shh, child,” Chris says soothingly. “You’re just new here, that’s all. Everyone’s the same when they first come to Castelia.”

“You weren’t,” Yuuri points out.

“I’m from Kalos,” Chris says, leading him away. “I lived in Lumiose, and that was one big, messed up city. So I’m used to it. But you’re a country boy, aren’t you?”

“I guess?” Yuuri says.

“Well, you are here,” Chris says. He tilts his head. “Do you have any fiercer Pokémon to walk with? That might scare people off a bit.”

“I have a Delcatty,” Yuuri responds. “And a Milotic.”

“Ah,” Chris says. “Never mind, then. This way,” he says. “And here we are!”

Yuuri feels so stupid. He’s probably passed this building six times. “Thanks, Chris,” he says quietly.

Chris ruffles his hair. “No problem,” he says. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help next time, okay?”

 

Yuuri flies back to Nuvema with Chris, reports to Celestino, and then promptly lies down on his bed.

“Aww, Yuuri,” Chris says sympathetically. He sits down by Yuuri’s bed, looking down at him. “You’re still feeling bad about today?”

“I don’t know,” Yuuri says, turning to look at him. “I thought travelling would be so great, but—” He sighs. “Everything is so new, and I just keep messing up.”

Chris sighs. “I get how you feel,” he says. “But really, Yuuri, just give it time. That was your first time in Castelia. Most people do a lot worse. They actually get mugged. What I’m trying to say is that—well, you’re pretty impressive.”

“You think so?” Yuuri says hopefully.

“Definitely,” Chris says. His expression becomes thoughtful. “You know, Yuuri, you’re the type of person who needs to let loose every once in a while, or you’ll snap.”

“I guess you could say that,” Yuuri says.

“So how about it?” Christophe asks. “You wanna go out sometime? Relax a little? I’ve got a couple of friends who can host a good party.”

Yuuri almost says no, but then he shrugs. To hell with it. “Sure,” he says.

Chris grins. “Awesome,” he says. “I’ll tell them I’m bringing my cute co-worker.”

“Thanks, Chris,” Yuuri says, and he means it.

 

The first time Yuuri goes out with Chris and his friends, they go to Virbank Gym, which also turns out to double as a music club. He doesn’t remember a whole lot, but he and Chris end up in the morning missing a lot of clothing. It’s fun though—the music is nice and the alcohol isn’t too cheap, and Chris’ friends treat him like the baby of the group, so he’s rather well-protected as country boys go. 

It starts turning into a habit—working hard during the week so that he has time to go out on the weekends. Yuuri starts getting used to the lab work, to the people. He only gets lost in Castelia City three more times, and never again after that. Really, life’s pretty great—Celestino treats him like a prize student, and Chris treats him like a little brother. Yuuri stops being scared and starts getting a little bolder, exploring Unova on his own with a renewed curiosity.

Surprisingly, Yuuri’s got a pretty high alcohol tolerance—higher than Chris’, actually. But when he does get roaring drunk, which is probably once every two weeks or so, things get crazy. He keeps losing clothes at the club, and sometimes, people he can barely remember greet him on the street and compliment him on his dance moves.

 “I haven’t danced for years,” Yuuri says to Chris, perplexed.

“Oh, no,” Chris says, his head in his hands. His hangover must be pretty bad. “Trust me, you danced yesterday. You _danced_ , Yuuri.”

Yuuri’s Beautifly chirps in assent.

“Oh,” Yuuri says.

 

Yuuri’s dance education isn’t much of a formal one—it’s mostly just practicing in the back of the lab with Minako. If Minako’s busy, her Gardevoir corrects Yuuri’s posture when he goes through his routines. But Yuuri’d never felt that comfortable with dancing—it’s not something he’d do in front of anyone willingly, so Minako sighs, asks him if he would be more comfortable if he had a Pokémon there with him.

The short answer is yes. The long answer is yes, _please_.

And that’s how Beautifly gets mixed into the dance lessons. Its elegance and eye-catching beauty actually adds a lot to Yuuri’s routine, and Yuuri learns to move and control his body in tandem with another creature (“Beautiful,” Minako says, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “That was beautiful. Dance or research, Yuuri, take your pick.”).

He’d picked research, but it’s not that Yuuri dislikes dancing. He still does it in his spare time, if he’s sure nobody is looking. It’s just that he’s never been partial to anything that requires him to do something in front of people.

“A damn shame,” Minako had said.

Yuuri vaguely wonders what she would say if she knew all it took was a large amount of alcohol to bring out the dancer inside him. He makes a silent vow never to tell her.

 

One Saturday in the middle of July, Yuuri wakes up in Chris’ room, naked. It takes him a moment to realize and remember, but when he does, he fairly yells.

“Ugh,” a voice says tiredly beside him, and Yuuri realizes with horror that it’s Chris. “Pipe down, Yuuri. My head hurts.”

“I-I’m naked,” Yuuri says quietly.

“Oh,” Chris says, smiling lazily. “You too?”

 

Yuuri can’t look Chris in the eye for the next week without blushing. The embarrassment wears off, though—they do work together, and Chris isn’t the kind of person to keep things awkward. He makes it clear that he doesn’t mind what happened, but it’s fine if Yuuri does.

Yuuri thinks about it for a while and decides he’s fine with it. They fool around a couple times after that, though it never gets serious. It’s not bad, though—Chris is rather good-looking in his own way, and Yuuri can’t say he doesn’t have fun.

 

“It’s so beautiful,” Yuuri says, and he realizes there are tears running down his face. “Look at it, Chris,” he says, cradling the Minccino in his arms. “It’s so soft.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Chris says, amused. “Yuuri, you’re drunk.”

“Touch it,” Yuuri says, grabbing Chris’ hand and running it over the Minccino’s fur. “It’s so soft. Like my daughter.”

Chris laughs, obviously more sober than Yuuri is. “Put the wild Pokémon down, Yuuri,” he says. “We’re going home.”

“No,” Yuuri says resolutely. “I’m adopting her. She’s mine.”

“She’s wild,” Chris says, and gently wrests the Pokémon away from Yuuri.

Yuuri makes an anguished sound of protest. “Where are you taking my daughter, you bastard?”

“You’re not related,” Chris says, and takes him by the hand. “Come on, let’s go home.”

Yuuri cries, but in the end, Chris manages to separate him from the Minccino and take him back to Nuvema safely. There’s still a lingering sense of wistfulness the next morning when he’s sobered up and the only things left of the Minccino are sweet, sweet memories and its fur on his shirt.

 

“Chris?" Phichit says, voice a little staticky over the phone. “Who the hell is Chris?”

“Just a friend who works with me,” Yuuri says, throwing a paper ball for Delcatty to chase. “And before you ask, no, your position as my best friend has not changed. And it never will.”

“Good,” Phichit says, satisfied. And then, “I miss you, Yuuri! You’ve gotta come over when you come back to Hoenn, okay? You need to tell me everything.”

“I will,” Yuuri says, smiling.

“Oh, I’m so proud,” Phichit says, mock-emotional. “My little Yuuri, making his way in the world by himself—”

“I’m older than you,” Yuuri points out.

Phichit ignores him. “Maybe you’ll meet someone hot! Maybe you’ll—” He gasps dramatically. “Fall in love!”

“You mean, maybe I’ll find what hidden abilities have to do with encounter locations,” Yuuri says.

Phichit _tsk_ s. “Dream bigger, Yuuri! You’re in Unova!”

“I almost got mugged,” Yuuri points out, amused. “But I guess you’re right. It’s a cool place.” He smiles. “I’m glad I came.”

 

Surprisingly, Yuuri doesn’t really end up drunk-fighting anyone.

“You don’t get more aggressive when you drink, you just get nicer,” Chris notes thoughtfully. “And a lot touchier. I guess some people are like that, though.”

Yuuri grins, snuggling up to him. Everything is so warm and funny and nice. “What?”

Chris chuckles. “Never mind,” he says. “You probably shouldn’t cling so much to me—you’re breaking that poor girl’s heart.”

Yuuri smiles giddily. “What girl?”

Chris sighs fondly. “Oh, Yuuri,” he says. “You’re hopeless, you oblivious heartbreaker, you.”

“What?” Yuuri says, tilting his head in confusion. “I would never.”

“Of course not,” Chris says. “Come on, let’s get you some water.”

 

The Pokémon of Unova are wonderfully charming—more than once, Yuuri finds himself enamoured with a new species. He’s especially partial to Deerling and Minccino—they’re so soft, so beautiful, so harmless—

“Harmless?” Chris says, scoffing. “No, Yuuri. That’s just for you. Deerling kick pretty damn hard when they need to.”

Regardless of whatever lies Chris spouts, Yuuri still has a soft spot in his heart for all the wild Pokémon he happens to meet. Sometimes, he’ll just sit in an open field with Poké Puffs and wait for them to come to him. It’s the best thing ever.

 

“Hey, Yuuri,” Celestino says one day at work, “someone dropped off a shirt for you?”

Yuuri’s mortified. “Oh,” he says, and takes the proffered piece of clothing, “That’s mine, yeah. Thank you.”

“Ah,” Celestino says, a little bemused but seeming to understand. “You go out a lot on the weekends, huh?”

“I guess you could say that,” Yuuri says, trying not to look him in the eye. “Sorry about this.”

“Don’t worry,” Celestino says, and he laughs. “Well, you’re young.”

“Yeah,” Yuuri says, feeling a little relieved, “I suppose I am.”

 

He starts to learn how to hold back a little, though. Alcohol’s fun, but it isn’t everything—it’s fun just to talk, to meet people and their Pokémon. Yuuri meets Leo de la Iglesia, Virbank’s gym leader, at another one of his parties, and they hit it off pretty well. Leo’s into music, and apparently he’s rather close with Guang Hong from Littleroot, so Yuuri ends up talking to him quite a lot from then on. He’s a Poison-type specialist, an immense Scolipede following him around quietly as he shows Yuuri his music equipment, though he has a couple of Pokémon he keeps with him for the sole sake of songwriting, like Chatot and Exploud.

“Chatot bounces back anything I play to her,” Leo explains, “so I can change things, hear my own mistakes. And she has ideas too—if there’s something she doesn’t like, she’ll change it.” He laughs. “We don’t always agree, but most of the time, we do.”

“We do,” the Chatot echoes, its voice an uncannily perfect imitation of Leo’s. Yuuri’s Beautifly chitters curiously at it, and jumps when the Chatot chitters right back.

“And the Exploud?” Yuri asks, intrigued.

“He’s like a natural amp,” Leo says, pleased. “Though I’m glad the sound insulation here is so good. He can be pretty loud.”

“That’s amazing,” Yuuri says, kneeling down and offering the Pokémon a Poké Puff, which is snatched up in a blink.

“I could say the same for you,” Leo says, smiling. “You’re a pretty impressive dancer. You and Beautifly both.”

Yuuri blushes. “My professor was a ballerina when she was younger,” he explains. “Compared to her, I’m really not all that great.”

“I think you’re awesome,” Leo says, and grins. “You’re amazingly coordinated even after eight drinks. I don’t know how you do it, really.”

"Thanks," Yuuri says, a little abashed at the praise. "But me neither,” he says. “I don’t remember much.”

Leo laughs. “You’re having a good time in Unova, then?”

“Yeah,” Yuuri says, nodding. “Everyone’s really nice, except for that one guy who tried to mug me in Castelia.” Leo nods knowingly. “I like working here, and the Pokémon are wonderful.” He grins up at the Scolipede, running a gentle hand down its neck, and the Pokémon makes a soft hum of contentment.

“That’s nice to hear,” Leo says cheerfully. He cocks his head thoughtfully. “I see you with Christophe from Kalos a lot. You guys close?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Yuuri says. “We work together. He’s really nice. Really sexual, though.”

“Ah, I see,” Leo says. “Just out of curiosity, are you guys together?”

Yuuri blinks. “No,” he says, colouring a little. “We’re just friends.”

“Oh, okay,” Leo says, patting his shoulder and grinning. “Sorry to embarrass you. So, nobody special, then?”

Yuuri looks at him, a little uncomfortable. “Not right now,” he says.

“Oh, I’m not asking for myself,” Leo says reassuringly. “I’m just curious, really. There are a lot of people interested in you, though. I always get people asking me who the boy with the Beautifly is.”

Yuuri groans. “That’s kind of embarrassing,” he says.

“Don’t worry,” Leo says. “I won’t sell you out.” He grins. “Unless someone catches your eye.”

“Thanks,” Yuuri says, reassured.

“No problem,” Leo says. “Hey, have you ever been to Nimbasa?”

 

Yuuri’s first time on the Nimbasa Ferris wheel is a lot better than he expected. Yeah, it’s a little humid, but he’s chatting cheerfully with Leo and admiring the view. Everything’s great until a Pidove swoops by and neatly drops a deuce on the glass of their compartment.

 

The end of summer approaches quickly, to Yuuri’s sadness, and soon it’s his last day and people are hugging him and saying goodbye. Celestino even buys him a cake. Yuuri thinks he might be crying, just a little.

“Alright,” Chris says after work, “you’re leaving tomorrow, which means we’ve got to go all out tonight, okay?” He smiles wistfully. “We probably won’t have a chance to do this again anytime soon.”

Yuuri nods. “Got it,” he says. He’s pretty sad, though. “I’ll miss you, Chris. Thanks for everything.”

“Aww, Yuuri,” Chris says fondly, putting an arm around his shoulder, “I’ll miss you too, my adorable, oblivious Hoenn heartbreaker.”

“I don’t break hearts,” Yuuri insists.

“Whatever you say,” Chris says, humouring him. He narrows his eyes. “You’ve gotta wear something nicer than usual today. You’re still bringing Beautifly?”

Yuuri nods. Beautifly’s his go-to party Pokémon—calm and good with people, but strong enough to fend off any unwanted attention. Delcatty’s a little too prickly to be in a club environment, and Milotic is just too damned big.

“Alright,” Chris says, and opens the closet door. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

 

“I am _proud_ of this outfit,” Chris says, looking Yuuri up and down appraisingly. “Now you match with your Beautifly. You’re colour coordinated, and I’m a genius.” He grins. “You look good in black jeans—you should wear them more often.”

Yuuri looks at his reflection in the mirror. He has to admit—he doesn't look half bad like this, but he’s not sure about the hair.

“You sure I should put it back like this?” he asks, touching it self-consciously.

“Believe me,” Chris says. “Never let it down again, you beautiful boy.” He heads for the door, grinning. “Let’s go, Yuuri. One last wild night before you go back to your sleepy town, yeah?”

“Coming,” Yuuri says, extending an arm, and Beautifly flutters down eagerly from its spot on the wall. “See you,” he calls to Delcatty. She yawns and meows, a soft, sleepy farewell.

 

The night starts off nice enough—Yuuri downs a few drinks, talking to Leo and Chris and a few of his other work friends. He meets a guy named Otabek, who’s apparently Sinnoh’s new Champion or something. He’s a little stern-looking, but wonderfully gentle with Beautifly.

“Wow,” Yuuri says over the music. “Champion, huh? How’s that feel?”

“Weird, I guess,” Otabek says, trying to shield his drink from his Staraptor. It’s a huge Pokémon, much bigger than any of its species that Yuuri’s ever seen, and it’s apparently partial to vodka. “I mean, I’ve spent so long clawing my way to the top, and all of a sudden, I’m there. It doesn’t seem right.”

Yuuri’s feeling kind of buzzed. “Yeah?” he says. “You’re so cool, though. You’re like—Champion material, you know?”

Otabek chuckles. “Thanks, I guess.”

“You’re welcome,” Yuuri says. “You’re actually really cool. I saw you ride your Rapidash on your way here. If I were a kid, I’d be obsessed with you.” 

“Okay, Yuuri,” Chris says, amused. “Stop hitting on the handsome man.”

“I’m not,” Yuuri insists, eyes wide. “I want to be him.”

Otabek laughs again, downing the rest of his drink and pushing his Staraptor’s face away. “I’m flattered,” he says. “I heard you’re a genius.”

“And a dancer,” Leo adds, cheeks rosy. “If you’re lucky, you can catch a performance tonight.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Otabek says, sounding amused.

 

The night starts to pass by in a blur. The music is loud, bassline pounding. Yuuri sheds a few articles of clothing, starts getting a little antsy. Beautifly’s wings open and close gently to the beat, and for some reason, Yuuri finds it amazingly endearing.

“You’re so beautiful,” he says quietly to Beautifly, who’s perched nicely on his shoulder, and it makes a noise that sounds vaguely like laughter.

“Yuuri!” It’s Chris, who takes his hand and leads him to a table, a Fletchling nesting in his hair. “Come play truth or dare with us.”

“I’d rather not,” Yuuri says, but he comes anyways. Truth or dare usually ends up with him losing clothes, and he likes this shirt.

He ends up sitting between Otabek and some small, blond guy with a temper. It takes him a moment to recognize him—he’s known the guy for years.

“Oh my god,” he says, blinking. “Yuri from Littleroot? What are you doing here?”

“Oh, it’s you,” Yuri says, looking disgusted.

“You’re a child!” Yuuri says, scandalized. “What are you even drinking?”

“Says the drunkard,” Yuri says, rolling his eyes. “It’s orange juice. Relax.”

“But what are you doing in Unova?” Yuuri asks again, perplexed. “Aren’t you supposed to be on your journey and earning badges?”

“I’m here to train,” Yuri says, taking a sip of his drink. “They’ve got something new opening here called the Battle Subway, and I wanna improve a little more before I take on the next gym.” He rolls his eyes. “Hoenn’s a drag sometimes when it comes to training.”

“Hey!” Yuuri says, offended. “We live there—”

“Only sometimes,” Yuri says. “I like it.”

“Good,” says Yuuri, suddenly struck by a feeling of overwhelming affection for his hometown. It’s great to travel, but Hoenn really is beautiful, and their Pokémon League is one of the best. How could it not be, when someone like Viktor Nikiforov is its Champion? 

“Okay,” Chris says, starting the game. “Uh, Leo.”

“Truth,” Leo says, grinning.

“Okay,” Chris says. “Who’s the hottest gym leader in Unova?”

 _Viktor_ , Yuuri thinks absently, then laughs to himself a little. Viktor's a Hoenn Champion. 

“Me,” Leo says, without hesitation.

“Should’ve seen that coming,” Chris says.

“Okay,” Leo says. “Otabek. Truth or dare.”

“Truth,” Otabek says, giving his Staraptor a morsel of a fry.

Leo grins. “Which other Pokémon Champion would you sleep with?”

 _Viktor,_ Yuuri thinks again, but looks expectantly at Otabek.  _He'd better say Viktor._

Otabek raises his eyebrows. “That’s kind of personal—”

Yuuri can’t stay silent. “Viktor!” he blurts out. “Viktor Nikiforov.”

Yuri makes a disgusted noise. “Ew,” he says.

Leo laughs. “Yuuri, it’s not your turn—”

“Wait,” Chris says, grinning, putting a hand on Leo’s arm. “I wanna hear this. Why Viktor Nikiforov, Yuuri?”

Yuuri blinks, thinking. Tipsy as he is, it doesn't take long for him to come up with a list of reasons. “He’s beautiful,” he says dreamily. “And so is his team. His battle style’s amazing, and he actually treats his Pokémon so nicely. Also, he’s hot. Like—really hot.”

Chris and Leo share a weird look, then burst out laughing.

Yuuri frowns. “Why are you laughing?” he asks, confused.

“Oh my god,” Chris says between chuckles, “Yuuri’s a closet Viktor fanboy. Who would've guessed?”

“He’s an _obsessed_ closet fanboy,” Leo says, laughing.

“Wait,” Chris says, pulling out his phone. “You know, Viktor’s actually in town tonight—”

“You’re shitting me,” Leo says, peering at the screen. “You know him?”

“Childhood friends,” Chris says, and sends a text. Yuuri watches all this, bemused.

Yuri rolls his eyes. “Viktor’s a freaking idiot.”

Yuuri gasps, affronted. “Shut up, you child.”

“Don’t tell me to shut up,” Yuri says, disgruntled. “I actually know the dude. He’s not _that_  attractive.”

“He is!” Yuuri insists. He turns to Yuri. “I’ll battle you.”

“Get ready to lose, loser,” Yuri growls.

“Uh, not here, please,” Leo says. 

“Fine,” Yuuri says, feeling heated. He stands up, and he’s surprisingly steady on his feet. “I’ll _dance_ battle you, you—you hater.”

“Oh, you’re on,” Yuri says, and the two of them march huffily onto the dance floor.

“Ah,” Otabek says. “A performance.”

 

When Yuuri dances, everything falls away for a moment—there’s just the music, his body, the soft pressure of Beautifly landing and taking off. People are watching, but Yuuri doesn’t care. It’s exhilarating, really, to just let go. He wins the dance battle—how could he not—and then Chris challenges him, just for fun.

There’s a pole involved. Luckily for Yuuri, Minako’d always been pretty open-minded. Unluckily for Yuuri, he loses his shirt. And his pants. At least Chris is in the same boat.

Afterwards, Chris takes him by the hand, leading him towards the crowd that’d gathered around their performance.

“Where are we going?” Yuuri asks eagerly, cheeks flushed. Chris is dressing himself again, and he hands Yuurii’s clothes back to him. Yuuri puts them on, a little dazed.

“I want you to meet someone,” Chris says, grinning.

“Oh, who?” Yuuri asks. His eyes widen. “Is it the guy you met last week?”

“No, unfortunately,” Chris says. “He’s out of town right now. But I think you’ll like this person even better.”

“What?” Yuuri says, confused.

“Viktor!” Chris calls, and Yuuri’s brain starts to whir. “Over here!”

Yuuri follows Chris’ line of sight, and he blinks, can’t really believe what—no, who—he’s seeing. Viktor Nikiforov’s walking towards them, a shy smile on his face, Alolan Ninetales at his heels. Silver hair, blue eyes. Yuuri’s breathless, exhilarated.

“Hi, Chris,” Viktor Nikiforov says, and—oh, he’s so beautiful, Yuuri’s heart could break.

“Viktor,” Chris says, grinning. “This is Yuuri. The guy I told you about.”

“Yuuri,” Viktor says, and he _smiles_ at Yuuri. “It’s nice to meet you. You dance beautifully.”

“Thank you,” Yuuri says, eyes wide. “You’re amazing. Your Ninetales—” his gaze drifts to the beautiful Pokémon, and he extends a gentle hand towards it. “May I?”

“His name’s Maccachin,” Viktor says, amused. “Go ahead.”

“I’ll leave you guys to it, then,” Chris says, a sly smile on his face, and then he’s gone, melting into the crowd.

Yuuri crouches down so he’s at eye level with Maccachin, and he grins. “Hi,” he says. “I’m Yuuri.”

Maccachin licks his face and he laughs, stroking the underside of the Pokémon’s chin until it lies down, rolling over and exposing its belly. Delighted, Yuuri gives him a thorough belly rub.

Viktor laughs, a beautiful sound. Yuuri looks up at him and grins.

“You’re good with Pokémon,” Viktor notes.

“You’re better,” Yuuri says, eyes shining. “Champion.”

Viktor smiles, bright and true. “Yuuri,” he says. “Would you like to sit down somewhere?”

 

They talk for a while, about Pokémon, about battling, about Yuuri’s summer job, but Yuuri barely remembers any of that. All he knows is that Viktor is fun to talk to, to be with, and Viktor seems to think the same about him, too. Viktor’s voice is low and sweet, his eyes impossibly blue, and sometimes he’ll reach out and tuck a strand of stray hair behind Yuuri’s ear. When he laughs, Yuuri’s heart swells three sizes larger. But there’s something about him that Yuuri doesn’t expect—a muted loneliness that it looks like he’s trying to hide, and it makes something in Yuuri twist.

“You’re sad,” Yuuri realizes, surprised.

“What?” Viktor says, taken aback. He smiles, a little strangely. “No, I’m not. Why would I be?”

“I don’t know,” Yuuri says, and he really doesn’t. But he knows it’s true—even though Viktor’s happy now, right here, there’s a melancholy air about him.

“Yeah,” Viktor says, eyes downcast. “I don’t know, either.”

Cautiously, Yuuri reaches out and takes his hand. “I’m sorry,” he says, and Viktor looks up, partly surprised, partly fond.

“No, it’s okay,” Viktor says. He reaches out, strokes Beautifly’s head. “You’re very perceptive,” he says lightly.

“I’m drunk,” Yuuri says.

Viktor laughs. “Yes,” he says. “Yes, you are.”

“And I intend to stay that way,” Yuuri says. He stands up, still holding Viktor’s hand. “Do you dance?”

There’s a smile spreading across Viktor’s face. “For you, I do,” he says.

 

They dance like they’re in love.

The song is Leo’s, a playful, happy melody. Viktor’s laughing, his touch warm and grounding, and a crowd’s gathered around them again. There are a couple of wolf whistles, and Yuuri realizes absently that for the second time tonight, his shirt’s gone, though he finds he doesn’t quite mind anymore. It’s like there’s nobody else there at all, just Viktor and his lovely blue eyes—Yuuri’s hero, come down to earth. The dance floor is their own beautiful little word, and they move in sync, a step backwards, a step forwards, a dip. Yuuri can’t stop grinning, can’t help but laugh when Viktor does too.

They’re inseparable for the rest of the night, always touching, always together. Yuuri wraps his arms around Viktor’s waist and Viktor puts an arm around his shoulders as they watch Leo sing, swaying gently to the music.

“Yuuri,” Viktor says, “where have you been my entire life?”

Yuuri smiles dreamily. “Lavaridge,” he says, rubbing his face against Viktor’s chest. “I work in Littleroot, but my family owns the hot springs. You should come one day!” He looks up, excited. “Our address is—” He pauses. He can’t remember. “I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

Viktor’s eyes are shining. “Okay,” he says softly. “That’d be great.”

“You’ll be happy there,” Yuuri says resolutely. “It’s pretty, and the springs are nice—they’re good for Pokémon, too. And—and if that’s not enough, I’ll _make_ you be happy.”

“Thank you, Yuuri,” Viktor says fondly, quietly, and holds him a little closer.

 

An hour later, Chris extricates him gently from a reluctant Viktor.

“I’m sorry, Yuuri,” he says. “I know you want to be with Viktor longer, but you’ve gotta catch your flight at Mistralton tomorrow.”

Yuuri makes a sound of protest, but lets himself be pulled away.

“Wait!” Viktor says, pulls a pen out of his pocket. He reaches out and takes Yuuri gently by the wrist, writing down a series of digits. “Call me,” he tells Yuuri. “Please.”

Yuuri smiles giddily. “I will,” he says, and tiptoes to kiss Viktor on the cheek. “I like you.”

Viktor is cute when he blushes. Chris laughs.

“Okay, I’ll see you, Viktor,” he says, and leads Yuuri out of the building, but not before Yuuri bids a tearful farewell to everyone he knows.

 

Yuuri vaguely remembers flying back to Nuvema, Chris urging him to take a shower, which he does reluctantly. Afterwards, he collapses on his bed, not even hearing Chris leave the room. Sleep is welcome and deep, and Yuuri falls quickly.

 

The next day, he wakes up late and very hungover. Chris and Celestino rush him over to Mistralton City, where his plane is waiting.

“You had fun last night, didn’t you, Yuuri?” Chris says from the front seat of the car, quirking an eyebrow suggestively. Celestino speeds through a yellow light.

Yuuri blinks, absently petting Delcatty, who’s lying on his lap. He has a vague memory of having a lot of fun, and there’s a sudden quickening of his heart when he thinks about it, though he’s not sure why. He’d woken up with a faded, unreadable string of digits on his wrist, but that’s the only clue he has. “Yeah,” he says, reluctant to tell Chris that he can’t remember most of their last night together. He racks his brain. “Otabek’s a cool guy.”

Chris laughs. “Otabek, huh?” For some reason, he sounds like he doesn’t believe Yuuri.

“Yeah,” Yuuri says, confused.

Celestino parks like a madman. “Okay, hurry!” he says. “We don’t want Yuuri missing his flight—”

Yuuri makes it in the nick of time, exchanges a tearful farewell with both of them.

“You’re a good boy, Yuuri,” Celestino says, sounding a little choked up. “I’m glad Minako sent you to us.”

“Thanks, Celestino,” Yuuri says, smiling.

Chris hugs him. “Keep in touch, Yuuri,” he says.

“I will,” Yuuri says, and then he boards the plane, giving them one last wave.

 

“Please return your Pokémon to their Poké Balls for the duration of the flight,” the flight attendant’s voice rings out over the plane’s speakers. “Thank you for choosing Braviary Airlines, and we hope you have a great flight with us.”

Yuuri sighs, puts in his earbuds. The first song that plays is one of Leo’s, and as he watches Unova fade into the distance, Yuuri can’t help but feel strangely nostalgic, can’t help but feel like he’s forgotten something important. His heart’s a little sore, thinking of all the new friends and Pokémon he’s leaving behind, but other than that, there’s a strange, warm feeling inside him. It’s funny. It almost feels like he’s in love.

 

When he comes back home, there’s a flurry of celebration, and Yuuri realizes that while he does like travelling, there’s a special place in his heart for Hoenn. Life goes back to normal eventually, and he settles into his old routines. Sometimes, he wonders about the strange emotion that takes ahold of him at times, about the scribbled phone number on his wrist, now long gone. Every once in a while, he considers asking Chris what actually happened that night, but he never does. Soon enough, the memory of it all begins to fade, and Yuuri throws himself back into his work— 

 

“—And he never, ever calls,” Viktor says, a little bitterly. “Never. Not even once.”

“I’m sorry!” Yuuri exclaims, face flushed and incredibly guilty. “Your number washed off—I didn’t even know whose it was—”

“Well, Viktor, now you know why,” Chris says, amused. He takes a sip of his drink. “So you just went to his house instead?”

They’re in Yuuri and Viktor’s hotel room, sitting around the coffee table. Viktor’s looking through his collection of TMs—he’s supposed to be preparing for tomorrow’s World Tournament, but he looks a little too incensed to be doing that properly.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” Viktor says, sighing. He looks at Yuuri balefully. “You already told me that you lived in Lavaridge, so I just double checked with Leo and got your specific address.”

“This explains so much,” Yuuri says, cradling his head in his hands. “So much.” He looks up accusingly. “So that’s why you were so flirty off the bat.”

“I thought you remembered me!” Viktor says, blushing a little. “I thought we could pick up where we left off.”

“Awkward,” Chris says, sing-song.

“That’s why Maccachin liked me immediately,” Yuuri says, realizing. “We already knew each other.”

“Uh, no,” Viktor says. “I’m pretty sure that’s just your effect on every Pokémon.”

“Well!” Chris says, grinning. “This has been a wild, wild journey.”

Viktor turns to him. “I can’t believe—you two—” He blinks, very rapidly. “I don’t know what to think about that.”

“How about ‘hot damn?’’’ Chris suggests.

“Oh, god,” Yuuri says, mortified. “I can’t believe I pole danced in front of everyone. I never want to drink again.”

“You did,” Chris says. “And it was marvellous. I’ve got to pay that professor of yours a visit and ask for some lessons.” He gets to his feet. “Well,” he says. “It’s getting late. I should be getting back, or my lover will be worried.”

“Okay,” Yuuri says, getting up to see him out. “Thanks, Chris. For everything.”

Chris waves dismissively. “It’s fine,” he says, grinning. “It was fun. But,” he says, lowering his voice conspiratorially, “if you ever need your wedding planned, I’d be glad to be involved in some of that.”

Yuuri blushes. “I don’t think we’re quite there yet,” he says.

“It’s only a matter of time,” Chris says, and winks.

Viktor comes up behind Yuuri, snaking an arm around him. “See you, Chris,” he says. “And—yeah, thanks.”

“No problem,” Chris says, and then he’s gone, closing the door gently behind him.

Viktor sighs, breath warm in Yuuri’s hair. “I can’t believe all that actually happened,” he says.

“Me neither,” Yuuri says, turning around to look him in the eye. “But I’m glad. We’re here now, aren’t we?”

Viktor grins. “Yes,” he says, “yes, we are,” and he kisses Yuuri, gently at first and then more insistently. Yuuri feels the familiar melting sensation through his entire body, and he pulls Viktor closer, gasping when Viktor’s mouth moves lower, biting playfully at his neck.

“I love you,” Viktor says breathily between kisses, “I love you, Yuuri—”

Yuuri smiles, quietly elated. He runs his hands through Viktor’s hair soothingly, fondly. “Me too,” he says. “I love you too.”

“You know,” Viktor says, looking at Yuuri through his lashes. “My first match tomorrow isn’t until the afternoon, so—”

“So what?” Yuuri says teasingly, taking Viktor’s hand.

“So,” Viktor says, smiling deviously. “I was thinking we could pass the time. Doing—you know, fun things.”

Yuuri laughs. “Of course you were,” he says. “You giant perv.”

“Is that a yes?” Viktor asks.

“Sure,” Yuuri says, smiling at him. He tiptoes, presses a kiss to Viktor’s forehead. “Why not?”

It’s almost comedic, the way Viktor’s face lights up. They don’t waste any more time after that.

 

It’s a long time before they actually go to sleep, Viktor warm and familiar at Yuuri’s back. Vaguely, Yuuri hopes that this room is soundproofed and sends a silent apology to their neighbours, just in case it isn’t.

“Goodnight, Yuuri,” Viktor says, and his voice is soft with sleepiness.

Yuuri smiles. “Goodnight, Viktor.”

He stays up a little after that, listening to Viktor’s breathing even out. The darkness is soft, reassuring in its calm silence, and Yuuri thinks about just how serendipitous everything had been, how lucky. Or maybe it isn’t luck at all—maybe it was meant to happen all along. Either way, Yuuri doesn’t mind. With a soft sigh, he closes his eyes and lets himself fall into the waiting arms of sleep.

The sun will rise tomorrow morning, and when he wakes up, Viktor will be beside him.

**Author's Note:**

> quiver dance is a bug-type move that raises the user's special attack, special defence, and speed by one stage each!!! and then u can SWEEP if things go right :)  
> also, Beautifly is 62.6 pounds? How is Yuuri not exhausted carrying that giant insect everywhere? Maybe he lifts.
> 
> Just like the last fic where Sara and Mickey are lowkey based off of Tate and Liza, I kind of based Leo off of Roxie from Pokémon B2/W2, because music. He's probably a lot calmer, though. :) That being said, I guess Viktor could be a flirty, less serious Steven Stone LOL
> 
> omg guys did you know there's a character in black 2/white 2 called curtis that you kinda get to flirt with and he gives you hidden ability pokémon...also, he's secretly an idol and his stage name is Christoph HAHAHHAA
> 
> Anyways, thank you for reading!!! Comments and kudos are always appreciated. Hope you guys have a great day!


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